5-Year Property ROI Simulator — Lyon

Project total return on a buy-to-let purchase over 5-10 years. Combines leverage (mortgage), rent growth, price appreciation and ongoing costs into one cash-on-cash and total-return number — so you can compare property against bonds or stocks at the same risk-adjusted framing. Pre-filled with Lyon medians from our latest snapshot (2026-05-09).

Inputs

City

Purchase price

€

Monthly rent

€

Down payment

Mortgage rate

Mortgage term

Hold period

Price growth p.a.

Rent growth p.a.

Annual operating costs

One-off purchase costs

Results

Cash invested upfront

€123,632

Cumulative net rent

€-36,710

Capital gain at exit

€49,229

Total return

€11,207

Total return % ⓘ

+9.1%

Annualised return ⓘ

1.75%

Annualised return below 4% — comparable to euro government bonds without the illiquidity. Re-check assumptions.

Leverage is 70% of price — that amplifies both gains and losses. A 10% price drop here would wipe 7% off your equity.

Data: Lyon · 2026-05-09

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a good ROI on European real estate?

Mid-cycle, leveraged buy-to-let in major European cities historically returns 6-10% annualised including rent and appreciation. Below 4% is bond-like; above 12% usually means heavy leverage or optimistic growth assumptions.

Should I use cash or leverage to buy?

Leverage boosts return when prices rise and rent covers costs, but it also amplifies losses if prices drop or vacancy spikes. As a rule, leverage works when your stress-tested cash flow stays positive at +3pp on mortgage rate.